Full Mission Bridge Simulator-Maritime Training Center, NKUST

Full Mission Bridge Simulator

Ship Handling Simulator (SHS) is developed by KONGSBERG, a leading simulator company in Norway. The SHS can simulate 18 ports, including Keelung, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Strait of Malacca, Singapore, Strait of Dover, the United Kingdom, and Halifax, Canada, and 35 types of vessels with different tonnages, including container ship, oil tanker, bulk carrier, warship, motor boat, and passenger ship. The SHS can also simulate various weather and sea conditions to train crew or trainees on their ship maneuvering capabilities and familiarity with COLREG.

IMO stressed the importance of use of simulators in training in several parts of Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW 78/95). SHS is a useful maritime simulator as it can simulate six degrees of freedom of ship motion and various environmental characteristics, therefore, it can be used as a basis for maritime training and evaluation.

This simulator was accepted at MSTC, NKUST, on March 18, 2003 and was certified according to the Standard for Certification of Maritime Simulator System. It is a Class A ship handling simulator with well-developed functions, and can simulate the whole operation environment in the bridge including advanced operations and piloting training in restricted waters. It is a full mission ship handling simulator (FMSS).

Immersive bridge

SHS consists of one trainer workstation, two bridges (one immersive bridge and one PC bridge), and one briefing room. This simulator has two features: a visual system (NorView3200), and an engine sound and vibration system. The visual system fully simulates the surroundings of a vessel with 9 channels, a total of 270 degrees and CGI technology, and even provides a 360-degree view. The simulator can simulate the vibration and sound of an engine to provide a more vivid bridge environment.

The preceding figure shows the immersive bridge which has a bridge space that is almost the same as a real bridge, to provide trainees with immersive experience. The immersive bridge includes the steering engine and electronic compass which can be easily seen by personnel upon entering the bridge. The rudder on the steering engine steers the course in hand or auto mode. The electronic compass helps determine geographical position so as to decide the course.

There are also chart table, ECDIS, ARPA, GMDSS,wind direction indicator, wind speed indicator, time, speed, and rudder angle indicator, various navigation aids, and communication devices in the bridge. The radar has the Kelvin Hughes system installed. Overall, this simulator can simulate various sea conditions and various types of ships, such as extreme weather, wind, air flow, thunder, rain, daytime, night, water depth, and marine sediment; and container ship, oil tanker, passenger ship, gas carrier, bulk carrier, and fishing boat. This simulator is useful to train trainees on their responses to various conditions and their abilities to act according to circumstances.

PC bridge

The PC bridge simulates the bridge environment based on a PC. Despite relatively inferior performance to the immersive bridge, the PC bridge can meet pre-teaching requirements in-class, to gradually guide trainees into the environment. The PC bridge and the immersive bridge can be concurrently used in drillings in the same waters. The figure on the right shows GMDSS, visual image, ARPA, engine order telegraph, rudder, ECHO Sounder, GPS, and GYRO from left to right.PC.

Trainer workstation

As ship manoeuvring should involve the integration of personnel, ship and environment, the trainer workstation, which should satisfy monitoring, control and evaluation requirements, can be considered as the core of the simulator. Therefore, the trainer workstation should be equipped with a master system, image system, monitoring system, and communication system, as shown in the figure on the right.

The trainer at the trainer workstation can monitor and communicate with the bridge. In addition, operations at trainee workstations (including real-time or prior operations) can be displayed in the briefing room by the projection function, and can also be controlled and managed by the trainer through the trainer workstation.

Briefing room

The briefing room of the SHS can accommodate up to 30 trainees and provides a tidy and comfortable environment. The briefing room is equipped with an advanced projector which can be used for exercise, video and briefing teaching.

Facility